David Milinkovic's debut season in English football is still awaiting takeoff and the winger did little to help his prospects of a full debut when arriving late at the the KCOM Stadium for Hull City's clash with Norwich City on Tuesday.

Adkins was back in front of the media this afternoon ahead of Saturday's trip to QPR and, this time, spoke at length about the Frenchman.

Can you clear up what happened with David Milinkovic on Tuesday night?

I’d like to know why I was asked the question in the first place. From my point of view, David understands he needs to work hard. Of late, he’s been working extremely hard and he’s back amongst the squad and in contention for the games.

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Obviously when we pick games I’ll have a squad, the 11 that will play, the guys on the bench and another couple of players in that squad who miss out when I announce the team and the substitutes.

David has been working hard enough of late to put himself back in and around the squad, which is important.

We’re trying to help everybody. We’ve got standards and values at the club and working hard is important. He’s a new player who’s joined our club with high expectations, but he understands he’s got to work hard. Just of late, he’s working a lot harder.

There’s other things that we talk about. Discipline and standards that we have at the club, which is important for everyone and is there for a reason.

The playing jersey of Hull City's David Milinkovic (Image: Focus)

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So, did he turn up late?

We have discipline at our football club and I look for time-keeping being one. Time keeping, from my point of view, is a big part of discipline. Discipline is being where you need to be, when you’re supposed to be.

Good time keeping makes you a more reliable person. Everyone can trust you’re going to be where you’re supposed to be, when you’re supposed to be.

It’s not a big issue from our point of view.

David Milinkovic of Hull City during the pre-season friendly match at the Estadio da Nora, Albufeira

Just to remove the grey area, he was late and that’s the reason he didn’t feature?

That might not be the reason he didn’t feature because I’ve said he was in the (matchday) squad.

Was he late? Yes he was late. But these are things that we deal with among the group.

Let’s make this perfectly clear, David Milinkovic has joined the club and it’s been a challenge for him.

David knows he needs to work hard. Just of late, he’s been working a lot harder and on the back of that he’s come into my mind.

Hull City manager Nigel Adkins (Image: Focus)

Another side of it is the standards we have around the place, ie. discipline and time-keeping.

I have a player who I’m doing everything I can to help. I want him to do really well.

We’ve just spent another 20 minutes or whatever it’s been speaking about David. We’re doing everything we can and David is understanding of that. I’m really pleased about that.

Time-keeping is important for the whole group. It can’t be one rule for one and not for the rest of the group. He understands that and he’s gone and worked extremely hard on the training ground this morning. I want that to continue.

David Milinkovic signed a three-year deal with Hull City when joining from Genoa in July (Image: Hull City)

What was his excuse for not arriving on time?

He was late. For me, David is working a lot harder than he was. That’s a positive. I really want David Milinkovic to do well for us. How is he going to do that? One, work hard and two, the team ethos.

We have discipline for a reason. You have to be relied upon to be where you need to be, when you need to be. You then take that out on to the pitch to be in the right area when you need to be.

Vince Lombardi was a famous NFL coach and years ago they came up with ‘Lombardi time’ where if there was a meeting called for 10 o’clock, everyone would make sure they would be there 10 minutes before. Ten to ten was Lombardi time so no-one was late. Just don’t be late.

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Hull City's David Milinkovic runs out before the pre-season friendly match at North Ferriby (Image: Focus)

Will he be in the squad this weekend?

Every chance. We’ve got a football player who has got talent and I’m doing everything I can to help him integrate into the Championship and a new football club. He understands the environment we’ve got.

There’s a great example with Kamil Grosicki. At this moment in time he’s got a smile on his face and he’s working his socks off for the football team. He’s producing some good football at this moment in time whereas maybe before Kamil, with all the things that happen off the field, wasn’t happening before.

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He understands what it’s all about. We’re in the bottom three in the Championship and we’ve got to make sure we’ve got everyone grafting for the team. The team ethos is vital.

David understands that and I’m seeing improvement. I need to help a young man who’s trying to find his way.